My sign is a Capricorn, and I’ve always read that Capricorns are dark, quiet and somewhat pessimistic people. But I’m actually quite the opposite! How exactly are the traits of each zodiac sign determined? Thanks!

-Cathy S.

Dear Cathy,

We get this question all the time, especially from Capricorns and Scorpios! Unfortunately, as with many things in pop culture, the zodiac is easily over-generalized.

There are positive and negative sides to every sign, so from an astrologer’s point of view, our purpose is to accentuate the positive and help people minimize their negatives. Some signs tend to get a bad reputation: People think Capricorns are too serious and pessimistic, Scorpios are vengeful and jealous, Geminis are flaky, Aries are selfish, Libras are superficial – the list goes on and on.

Over thousands of years, various cultures and observations of the cosmos by ancient astrologers have determined the traits of each zodiac sign. The medieval astrologers were stuck on all of the negative qualities of each sign because it was generally a dark time in the world. In the 20th and 21st centuries, however, things changed considerably.

Astrology is now used as a psychological tool in addition to a predictive one. And remember, your chart is NOT just your sun sign. You’ve got the energy of all 12 signs and nine planets working somewhere in your personality.

There’s more to you than just your Capricorn sun. If you have a happy-go-lucky Sag rising, people see you as an optimistic Sag, not a dark Capricorn.

Whenever you read anything negative about a sign, there's always an equally positive counterpart to balance out the sign’s nature. In other words, no sign is more positive or negative than any other sign.

Some may consider Capricorns too serious and sober, but others will praise your hilariously dry wit. Some may accuse you of being a spendthrift while others will praise your ability to stretch a dollar or your impeccable taste when it comes to buying only the best quality. Forget any assumptions that people make about you, and cherish your amazing ability to get things done – a trait that every other sign envies!

What's Your Zodiac IQ?How much credence do you give to astrology? Take this zodiac quiz to find out.

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